We were driving from Bucksport, Maine to Newburyport, Massachusetts. We were still looking for lighthouses and there was one just south of Portland. As we drove through Portland, I noticed that they had dozens of places to eat. But it was still too soon for lunch so we pressed on to the lighthouse. After spending a half hour or so we went south toward Cape Elizabeth because there was supposed to be another lighthouse there, but we never found it. After touring most of the residential areas of Cape Elizabeth, we decided to try to find the lighthouse at Biddeford Pool. Again, no success so we decided to look for a place for lunch - preferably a place that offered fresh seafood and overlooked the sea.
The next stop down the coast was Old Orchard Beach. The traffic was ridiculous for a small village. But it seems that everyone goes to the beach on Sunday afternoon. We finally spotted a seafood restaurant that looked like it might serve something other than fried food. We pulled into the adjacent parking lot and the attendant wanted $40. We asked where the parking for the restaurant was and were informed that they didn't have any parking. We would have to pay to park. Did he seriously think I was going to pay $40 to park so I could eat a lunch that would probably cost me another $40? We went off in search of free (or at least cheap) parking. We did find a restaurant that had free parking, but they didn't open until 5 PM - a bit late for lunch. The cheapest parking we could find was $20. Clearly, if you don't intend to spend the entire day at the beach, the merchants and restaurants of Old Orchard Beach do not want your business. We pressed on.
It was pretty much the same thing in Kennebunkport. So we gave up on having a seaside view at lunch and got back on Route 1. We spotted a Greek restaurant and decided to give it a try. It didn't look special and the patio overlooked the parking lot - but hey, that's a bit like Dallas - we'd feel right at home. When we asked if we could sit on the patio, the young man at the door said we could. What he didn't tell us is that we could sit out there all day and night but no one was going to come to take our order. After ten minutes of waiting, we decided to resume our search for a place to eat.
On our way back to our car, our complaints were overheard by a young man on a motorcycle who seemed truly shocked by the lack of service, but recommended a place we'd obviously passed and overlooked. I can't really remember the name of it, but as we pulled into the parking lot I remembered that we'd rejected it as we drove by. The parking lot was just a bit too empty for Sunday at lunch time. But now that we were on the verge of starvation, it didn't seem to matter so much.
We went in and found the restaurant (on the other side of the gift shop) but there was no hostess. No visible wait staff . Just a few patrons with plates of food. Mark and I looked at each other and then looked around. There was no sign that said "Seat Yourself". We decided to give it a few minutes and see if anyone turned up. The hostess returned to her post and seated us. Most of the menu was indeed fried, but Mark ordered a sandwich and I ordered a bowl of clam chowder. I probably made the better choice. Mark's french fries were frozen rather than fresh cut, although his sandwich was fine. The clam chowder was home made with good sized chunks of clam. But you know how there are places you go and the food and the service are just so great that you come away thinking it was just fabulous? This wasn't one of those places. But as the saying goes, it filled the hole and let's face it, Mark and I are both a bit cranky when deprived of food. (Okay, maybe it's just me.)
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